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Melih Esenbel
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
November 13, 1974 – March 30, 1975
President Fahri S. Korutürk
Prime Minister Sadi Irmak
Preceded by Turan Güneş
Succeeded by Ahmet Gündüz Ökçün
Ambassador of Turkey to the United States
In office
April 1, 1975 – July 14, 1979
Preceded by Aydın Yeğen
Succeeded by Mustafa Şükrü Elekdağ
In office
January 9, 1967 – November 1, 1974
Preceded by Rıfat Turgut Menemencioğlu
Succeeded by Aydın Yeğen
In office
March 24, 1960 – October 28, 1960
Preceded by Suat Hayri Ürgüplü
Succeeded by Bülent Uşaklıgil
Ambassador of Turkey to Japan
In office
January 1, 1963 – January 1, 1966
Preceded by Nejad Kemal Kavur
Succeeded by Turgut Aytuğ
Personal details
Born
Melih Rauf Esenbel

March 15, 1915
Istanbul, Ottoman Empire
Died July 27, 1995 (aged 80)
Istanbul, Turkey
Alma mater
Profession Diplomat, politician

Melih Rauf Esenbel (born March 15, 1915 – died July 27, 1995) was an important Turkish diplomat and politician. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Turkey. He also represented Turkey as an ambassador in several countries, including the United States and Japan.

Early Life and Education

Melih Rauf Esenbel was born in Istanbul, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire, in 1915. He attended Galatasaray High School. After high school, he studied law at Istanbul University.

In 1936, he began working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He started as a probationary clerk, learning the ropes of diplomacy. He left briefly in 1937 for his military service.

After finishing his military duty in 1938, Esenbel returned to the ministry. He worked in departments dealing with economy and trade. In 1939, he was sent to the Turkish embassy in Paris, France. There, he worked his way up from Third Secretary to Second Secretary. In 1943, he came back to Turkey to work in the ministry's Protocols Department. This department handles official ceremonies and rules for diplomats.

Early Diplomatic Roles

In 1945, Esenbel moved to the Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. He first served as a principal secretary and later as a counselor. From 1952, he held several important leadership roles in the ministry in Ankara. By 1957, he became the Secretary General of the ministry. This was a very high position.

On February 17, 1959, a serious event happened. Esenbel was traveling with Prime Minister Adnan Menderes to London. They were going to sign an important agreement about Cyprus. Their plane, a Turkish Airlines flight, crashed while trying to land in thick fog. Five crew members and nine passengers sadly died. Melih Esenbel was among the survivors, with only minor injuries. The Prime Minister also survived without harm.

A Distinguished Career in Diplomacy

In 1960, Melih Esenbel became the Ambassador to Washington, D.C.. He held this important role from March to October. After returning to Turkey, he continued to advise the Secretary General.

His next international assignment took him to Tokyo, Japan. He served as Turkey's ambassador there from 1963 to 1966. In 1967, he was appointed Ambassador to the USA for a second time. He stayed in this position until November 1974.

Serving as Foreign Minister

In November 1974, Prime Minister Sadi Irmak asked Melih Esenbel to join his government. Esenbel was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. He served in this top role until March 1975. His time as minister ended when the government resigned after a vote of no confidence in the parliament.

Soon after, on April 1, 1975, Esenbel became Ambassador to Washington, D.C., for a third time. He continued in this role until July 1979. After completing his duties in the USA, he returned to Turkey. He was promoted to Minister-Counselor before retiring on August 23, 1979.

Personal Life

Melih Esenbel passed away on July 27, 1995, in Istanbul, at the age of 80. He was survived by his wife, Emine, and their two children. He was buried in his family's grave at the Yahya Effendi Tekkesi graveyard.

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